Adhesive bonded pipe joints are commonly used with many types of plastic pipes. The best joints are formed when the adhesive is in the form of a thin uniform line. To achieve this, a tapered bell and spigot type joint is most commonly used. However, it is necessary that the joints be socketed together with considerable force to prevent slipping and cocking of the pipes at the joint and a subsequent weak bond which will fail. Small diameter pipes can be joined and locked together by hand with two or more men thrusting the spigot into the bell with force. Larger diameter pipes are more difficult to join because of their size, weight, large bond area and a thicker, less resilient pipe wall. The usual methods are to hammer the spigots home into the bell by pounding on the opposite end of the pipe or to loop a chain or rope hitches around each pipe, then connect these with a ratchet type come-along or puller and pull the pipes together. Other devices offered on the market grip the pipe and are connected by a rod or beam and force is applied by a rack and gear arrangement.
Hammering on the pipe does not apply sufficient force. Mechanical come-along devices do not apply a balanced force on each side of the pipe members to be joined and parallel to the axis of the pipe member. No force indicators have been used to constantly give reliable joints without risk of excessive force that can cause damage.
The invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by employing a wedging construction located on diametrically opposite sides of pipe to socket the pipes together at a joint area by the use of hydraulic cylinders and a force indicator to prevent excessive force being applied to the pipes.